SECOND ACT NEW HARVEST

Greg Masucci, Bus Ad ’84, and his wife, Maya, always thought they’d raise their family in Washington, D.C., where Greg worked as a real estate agent. But a few years after their eldest son, Maximus, was diagnosed with severe autism and lost his ability to speak, they traded the city for 25 acres in rural Virginia.

That was 2014, when Maximus was 8 years old and their daughter Delilah was 5. Two years later, they launched A Farm Less Ordinary, a nonprofit that employs adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Masucci received the Good Neighbor Award from the National Association of Realtors for his efforts.

The farm’s name comes from the unordinary path the family’s life took. Along the way, they learned a valuable lesson: “Be nimble. If you can adapt, you can still flourish,” says Masucci, who leads the farm as CEO and moonlights in real estate to support his family.

BY TRACY STAEDTER

Nearly 30 workers on the farm, called “growers” — because they grow food and grow in self-confidence — start off with tasks such as planting seeds in trays. Once successful, they move on to weeding, harvesting and interacting with customers.

Although Maximus has limited motor skills that keep him from farm work, he’s learned a technique to communicate letter by letter and penned an award-winning essay. It taught Masucci that everyone has potential, especially with the right support. He says being a part of that growth for others has been “magical” and “has had more value to me than anything else I’ve ever bought, done or earned.”

❤ Melanie Lawder, Comm ’14, and John Foley, wed June 11, 2022.

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��Brittany (Boncuore) Haberkorn, Arts ’15, and Joel Haberkorn, Eng ’15: daughter Margot Sara born June 29, 2022.

Sam Kissel, Eng ’15, was promoted to top principal contract administrator with the Metro Transit (Minn.) Southwest Light Rail Project. Kissel oversees the operations and maintenance facility expansion and the SCADA contract, which includes designing and installing the new system and integrating with the existing system.

❤ Rebecca Tripp, Comm ’15, and Brian Corbett, Comm ’15, wed Aug. 13, 2022. The couple lives in Chicago.

16 Lindsey Anderson, Law ’16, was appointed to the Wisconsin Crime Victims Council.

❤ Lauren (Marek) Brown, Arts ’16, and Zachary Brown, wed Oct. 21, 2022.

❤ Katarina (Radmanovic) Jutrzonka, Eng ’16, and Brian Jutrzonka, wed Sept. 18, 2022, at St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in Milwaukee, with a reception at The Gage in West Allis, Wis. Several alumni were in the wedding party and numerous others were in attendance. The couple resides in West Allis. Katarina is a Ph.D. candidate in biomedical engineering at Marquette, and Brian is a front-end web developer.

Ryan Pawlowski, Bus Ad ’16, was promoted to senior IT project manager at Harley-Davidson Motor Co.

17 Hannah Dockendorff, Law ’17, has been reselected as a National Trial Lawyers Civil Plaintiff Top 40 Under 40 trial lawyer in Wisconsin.

❤ Juliena (Herritz) Martin, Ed ’17, and Ryan Martin, Bus Ad ’18, wed June 25, 2022.

�� Joe Mehlhaff, Bus Ad ’17, and Kaylyn K. (Deiter) Mehlhaff: son Peter Michael born Sept. 20, 2022.

❤ Kaleigh (Keller) O’Leary, Grad ’17, and Dominic O’Leary, Arts ’17, wed in August 2021 and have two sons, Owen and William.

Matthew Serafin, Comm ’17, was named a Regional 30 Under 40 recipient by the West Suburban Chamber of Commerce and Industry outside Chicago.

❤ Abigail M. (Busse) Shields, Arts ’17, Grad ’18, and Ryan (Thomas) Shields, wed on June 11, 2022.

Andrew Szyman, Bus Ad ’17, was promoted to senior associate on Baird Capital’s Global Private Equity team. Before that, Szyman was an investment banking analyst at CIBC Cleary Gull.

REUNION YEAR

Kathleen Shanahan, Arts ’18, Grad ’19, and Benjamin Lamb, Arts ’18, met in biology class during their first week of their freshman year in Cramer Hall (Room 104J). Almost eight years later, on National Marquette Day 2022, Ben proposed to Kate in that very classroom. The couple will wed in September 2023 and is so thankful to Marquette for bringing them together.

Nora Godoy-González, Comm ’20, was named the 2022-2023 Ms. Mexican Fiesta ambassador. She will support the Wisconsin Hispanic Scholarship Foundation and Mexican Fiesta to raise scholarship money for Hispanic students in Wisconsin.